KUALA LUMPUR: The Fire and Rescue Department has vehemently denied claims that one of its firemen was critically injured after being run over by a fire engine instead of being assaulted by rioters.
The fireman, Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim, 24, is now on life support after being wounded while responding to an emergency at the Sri Maha Mariamman temple in USJ25, Putra Heights on Tuesday morning.
The department’s director-general, Datuk Mohammad Hamdan Wahid, in denying the claim made by the temple’s action committee, said those who weren’t at the scene should not make baseless claims.
“Some people claimed they have evidence to show that Muhammad Adib was run down. We had eight firemen there, they know what happened.
“I would like to stress that the case is still under police investigation, and I do not want to interfere with the probe. The fire department is giving our cooperation but do not make baseless claims.
“The fireman who was allegedly shown in the video as being run down was not Muhammad Adib. The fireman in question, Mohd Hazim Mohd Rahimi, is still with us now, and he was not run over,” he told a press conference at the National Heart Institute here on Wednesday.
Hamdan said the department will lodge a police report on the claim.
Commenting on Muhammad Adib’s condition, Hamdan said he has faith that IJN will do its best to stabilise the fireman’s condition.
The temple’s action committee secretary, V K Regu, had claimed that Muhammad Adib was injured when the fire engine reversed at speed.
Meanwhile, Mohd Hazim denied claims that Muhammad Adib was run down by a fire engine.
“On the night of the incident, I was at the rear of the vehicle to unload firefighting equipment, as I was the closest to it.
“I then saw the rioters charging towards me. I fled to the fire engine. People think that person in the video was Adib; it wasn’t.
“And I was not run down. I was in a state of panic and I don’t remember much of what happened after that,” he said.